Xiaomi has begun mass production of its 3-nanometre XRing O1 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which will power the firm’s latest smartphone and tablet devices, ahead of Thursday’s new product launch in Beijing, according to company founder, chairman and chief executive Lei Jun.
In a Tuesday post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Lei confirmed local media reports that the XRing O1 was based on the 3-nanometre lithography process in semiconductor manufacturing. He also said the new integrated circuit (IC) would be installed in the company’s new 15S Pro smartphone and the Pad 7 Ultra tablet.
Xiaomi did not provide more information about the XRing O1, especially which contract semiconductor manufacturer was producing the locally designed mobile SoC. Semiconductor foundries in mainland China are not able to mass produce 3-nm chips owing to US tech restrictions.
Still, Xiaomi has become the fourth tech company in the world to design a 3-nm mobile SoC for mass production after Apple, Qualcomm and MediaTek.
The Beijing-based smartphone giant did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
That also marked a breakthrough for Xiaomi, which has repositioned itself in advanced IC design after making its mark in the electric vehicle and smartphone sectors.